How We Began

How We THRIVE started as an experiment in "just doing it." A few people dreamed of an event that would capture the energy and possibilities that are alive in our region right now. People from across communities and walks of life would come together for four days—long enough to get below the surface of issues and challenges, have real conversations, learn and unlearn. Soon others pitched in, volunteering their time and offering to share stories and host sessions.

The first How We THRIVE gathering took place June 17-20, 2018, at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. After four days we left with a richer understanding of how we can accelerate positive change in our communities and region. We began to uncover a shared story about how we thrive, now and into the future. And we took home tools and connections that will help us move towards that future. Read more about what happened in 2018.

What Happened & What We Learned

Photos, feedback & reflections

Easel notes

Feedback survey results

Leveraging our Networks

Follow-up meeting with THRIVE partners, August 20, 2018.

Co-hosted by THRIVE, StFX Extension, Coady Institute, and the Community Sector Council of NS, we came together to reflect, become more familiar with one another's current work and plans, and look for opportunities to collaborate more across networks. We shared learning from successful collaborations, named barriers, went on a dialogue walk with one other, self-organized into topics we wanted to explore, and shared news about upcoming plans and events.

Other themes:

We are in a period of great transformation – social, political, ecological, economic – and have no choice but to work together.

We have the potential in NS to become an island of sanity for ourselves and others. People would be crazy not to want to move here and be part of what is going on.